MMA trailblazer Don Frye back home after second back surgery

http://mmajunkie.comEarly mixed-martial-arts superstar Don Frye, a 43-year-old who fought professionally as recently as this past September, is back home and resting following his second back surgery in two weeks.

Frye, a two-time UFC tournament winner who also competed with PRIDE, underwent surgery two weeks ago and returned to the operating table this past week following complications from the initial procedure.

His publicist, Melissa Ingram, on Tuesday alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Frye had been released from the hospital.

“He … is expected to fully recover without further complications,” she stated in an email. “Don is looking forward to resuming his normal activities in the very near future.”

Frye, an Arizona State and Oklahoma State Division I wrestler, made his pro MMA debut in 1996 after watching teammate Dan Severn transition into the sport. (Another teammate, Randy Couture, would follow their lead a year later.)

Frye won 15 of his first 16 fights, which included UFC 8 and UFC Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournament victories, and became a fan favorite as one of the sport’s first competitors successfully to mix fighting styles. With a variety of knockouts and submissions, those early-career wins came over notables such as “Tank” Abbott, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock.

Even after the UFC and PRIDE, Frye remained active while coaching an IFL team, launching a productive acting career, and even hosting a humorous biweekly personal-advice segment on TAGG Radio/MMAjunkie.com Radio called “Don Frye-days.”

This past September, though, he announced his retirement following a loss to Dave “Pee Wee” Herman at a Shark Fights event in Texas. Over his 14-year pro career, Frye amassed a 20-8-1 record, including a 9-1 mark in the UFC. He’s widely regarded as one of the best and most influential fighters who hasn’t earned a UFC Hall of Fame induction.

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